Paschal and brother, Charles were licensed by the Kansas Legislature to operate a rope ferry over the Kansas River at the mouth of the Wakarusa, one mile up and one mile down the river, joining Douglas and Leavenworth counties, located S.4,T,13,R,21 E.

Charles owned 39 acres of land in this area in section 33,T,12,R-21 and the deed was signed Aug. 9, 1862, by Shawnee chiefs Charles Bluejacket and Eli Blackhoof, as Shawnee Nation Chiefs. This land was in the area that later became known as Weaver Bottoms, when a Mr. Weaver bought land there and a small village was established on the fertile bottom land. Floods have destroyed much of the land and the homes there. It was easy for Charles to attend to the ferry as he lived closer than Paschal. Charles sold his land to Charles Achning on March 24, 1865.

Many U.S. soldiers, animals and military equipment crossed the Kansas (Kaw) River with the Fish Ferry at the mouth of the Wakarusa and wrote in their journals about the event. Paschal provided this service for the U.S. Army Dragoons who sought a shorter route from Fort Leavenworth to join the Santa Fe Trail to the war in Mexico. This was at Willow Springs.

Col. Doniphan's army as well as other wester travelers used it many times. Paschal also ran a ferry near Topeka for several years and he sold it to the Pappan Brothers.

In 1854 when the Indians signed a treaty to own their own land individually, Paschal built a sturdy hewn-log, thatched-roof house on the Westport-Fremont Trail about a mile south of the river and used it as an Inn and stopover, or "Ranche House," for early day travelers by horseback, wagon, stagecoach, etc. It was called "The Fish House" and Paschal provided meals, lodging and blacksmith needs and sold travel essentials, such as he could provide, in this small building. This house was located on S-8, T-13, R-23. He hired a manager to run it.